Application for John Amsterdam: New Amsterdam

[400_years_young]

The dog entered the Sorting Room first, followed by a leash, followed by a tall man in a black coat being dragged behind. "Six, knock it off!" the man said, with an accent somewhere between Noo Yawk and European. He let the leash slide from his hand and the dog took off to sniff out the corners off the room

Comments

[sidney_reilly]

Hmmm. Multiple skill sets, multiple identities...was this someone in his own line of work, Reilly wondered?

"Which one?" He tapped the line about military experience. "Army? Navy? Marines? Coast Guard?"

[400_years_young]

"Which one when?" John asked him. "I did them all."

[sidney_reilly]

Double hmm.

"Wartime service? Did you see action?"

[400_years_young]

"Yeah." He nodded. "Long time ago. How about you? Did you serve?"

The quill and the anachronistic dress were really throwing him off. The last time he'd seen someone dressed like that had been eighty years ago. And, honestly, he was happy that pomade had gone out of style.

[charlesofdensen]

Ofdensen looked at the Hufflepuff answer. Then to John. Then to the list again. "Is all this true?"

[400_years_young]

He nodded. "Yeah. Oh, I was a teacher for a while, too." He furrowed his brow in concentration. "Artist, and I played some jazz for a while. Did you want some more, or is that enough for now?" It was a very abbreviated list.

[charlesofdensen]

There was something...untrustworthy about this man. No one man could do all that unless there was something more going on.

"It is. But tell me, how can one man serve in four different branches?"

[400_years_young]

"By filling out the paperwork." It was the truth.

[papayagami]

Damnit Hogwarts, quit resetting the bar on surprises!

Soichiro stood there with a look of absolute shock on his face.

The name seemed normal enough: Johann van der See, one of four he gave.

What was off was the infinity symbol floating under his name.

[400_years_young]

Being a cop in New York, he was used to the strange people staring at him. And staring. And staring. With a helping of staring on the the side. It came with the territory.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

[papayagami]

"Just....how old ARE you?"

Rational thought? Out the window, poor man.

[400_years_young]

"I'll be 401 this year," he said without missing a beat.

[i_am_an_hero]

"So much, you know so very many things," A giggled. "Are you a subject, too?"

[400_years_young]

He nodded. "History. I'm a study in history."

[i_am_an_hero]

"History, yes." A bit his lip. "Kings and wars, famines and religions. All in little patterns. Have you learned to see the patterns?"

[400_years_young]

John closed his eyes, just for a brief second. He could see the patterns. He had lived the patterns, watched the kings, the wars, the famines come and go. "I've seen them," he said. "Do you?"

[red_eyed_l]

Now this, this was interesting. A man with an infinity symbol for a lifespan? A man who does not die? Beyond had been inclined to believe that such things were only myths.

He shall have to change how he perceives things.

"Johann van der See. You're certainly not what I expect an immortal to look like. Far too plain."

[400_years_young]

"Why, thank you," he said with a lop-sided grin. Plain was better than unusual, which drew attention. Unusual was remembered.

"So what are you supposed to look like?"

[red_eyed_l]

"I'm supposed to be L. Better than L, in fact." He held out his jam. "Jam?"

[400_years_young]

Oh, why not. If it was poisoned, it would only hurt for a little while. "Thanks." He wasn't sure how to eat it, though. Spoon? Finger? "So what's an L?" he asked while puzzling out the jam.