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 Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:03 pm
Map, maps and history. Joscelin hated moving maps, they were large and unwieldy and the volumes most people requested really needed more than two hands to move them. The one he wanted was an old, leather bond book, cracked with age and about half his height. He grumbled and pried the book down, shifting the unwieldy thing under an arm and shuffled his way back to Bereck. "I hate maps," he said, the book rattling the table he set it on, and the cover when open nearly reaching the end. "This has the most in-depth maps of the area."
Joscelin frowned and wiped his hands clean on his shirt, leaving a trail of dust. "It is also the least used, considering it is a unwieldy mess." He grumbled, turning the pages and started to unfold the large area map, spreading it out in quick smooth motions till the frail paper was laid out.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:51 am
Once the boy was out of sight Bereck sighed and sagged slightly, rubbing his stiff neck with one hand and toying with the ring on its chain through the cloth of his shirt with the other.
And then a book shook the desk. Bereck looked up sharply, hands dropping away from his neck and from the hidden rings. Bereck scowled. "Boy, you flounce and sulk like a six year old girl." The map was clearly little used, the dust spoke of that; perhaps it hadn't been touched since it had been placed here when the records were built five turns ago. Perhaps he would find something here, or perhaps he was just fooling himself again.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:13 am
Joscelin paused in smoothing out the pages, eyes going hard and started to calmly folding the map back up. "I was mistaken, this atlas of the area before Warden's before probably even the mine couldn't be of use. What was I thinking. You wanted histories." He pat the pages and moved to close the book. "I shouldn't have even taken it out. It would be such a waste of your all to important time."
He could play this game. If Bereck wanted to belittle him well, he could give it back in spades. Joscelin had much to do and the healer kept adding to it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:31 pm
Never the most patient of men and already thoroughly wound up Bereck had half a mind to yank the map out of the boy's hands. His respect for knowledge however kept him from doing so - he might damage it - and instead he reached out to place a hand flat over the page. "I won't know unless I look, and I have no intention of missing a lead that could give me even a sharded clue about what happened. If you don't want to help me I'll search for myself; I know how to use the library index cards as well as any man and better than most. It will be faster if you help me, but I don't need you and I don't need your attitude either." While his hand on the paper was gentle his voice was anything but; controlled anger growled in the healer's tone like a chained wher and showed in harshening lines on his face. He didn't need this; he never needed such behaviour but he really didn't needed it today.
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:24 am
"Then don't be a sharding fork tail when I bring you things," Joscelin said icily and laid the atlas back, stroking the papers. "This is an atlas of map before Warden's was built, it not used much anymore. Most of the maps have been copied into smaller forms for ease of patrols." He slowly started to unfold it.
"And for your information, I was not hired to be a social flower and to make nice to patrons. I don't deal with people. I repair and recopy books and pages and you interrupted my work not the other way around." He snorted and tapped the map. "They fold a certain way. Don't fold it yourself or I will inform those I work for that your ruined one of our maps, That is about IRREPLACEABLE." Joscelin glared at Bereck. "Do we have an understanding?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 11:16 am
"No." Bereck's voice cracked like a whip and pushed himself to his feet. His height was far from impressive but his stance betrayed no lack of confidence; he was angry probably disproportionately so but at that moment in time he couldn't see it.
"We do not have an understanding, child," he continued, tones tense and twanging as a bowstring at full draw. "I have handled more priceless documents than you have had hot dinners. I know how to treat them; may I remind you that I also work here in the records? Let this be our agreement: you start showing a little respect or I will inform those you work for that you can't keep a civil tongue in your head. I don't care what your job is; if you opt to help somebody of your own free will don't act as though it's some great trial upon your patience. Had you not made the offer I would have looked alone, and been happier for it no doubt!" One more word out of this brat and he was going to make a formal complaint, preferably to the Warden. He might 'only' be a greenrider but he was a green riding master and he was damned if he was going to put up with this boy's insolence any more than he already had!
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:52 pm
Free will? Joscelin curled his fingers tightly into fists, back stiff and straight and trying not to allow the displeasure in the elder, higher ranking man's voice cause his chin to lower. He weathered the anger, jaw tight and finger nails biting skin of his palm and attempted to quell his rising panic.
"Crystal," he managed to say finely, tone soft and even and abruptly turned around and left. He wasn't running away, he wasn't... he had things to do that didn't involve the healer and he needed to clear his mind. Not focus on the idea of free will and the fact it never really existed. Joscelin had said and offer because it was expected of his position not because he had a desire to help.
Not... not back to his first work spot. He paused indecisive and frozen, raking his mind. Perhaps he should just leave and get a pot of tea and cakes and finish going over the most recent shipment of texts to sort.
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:29 pm
"Got work to get back to?" Bereck asked, following after, his voice still less than kind as his temper flared from a long day of stabbing feelings. "If you have, declare it! Don't turn your back on me without a word." He just wanted a clue, was that so much to ask? Twenty turn of digging, and pain, and missing that smile, and of isolation. He hadn't deserved her, but he didn't believe he had deserved to lose her as he had either. Maybe he should try to engage with somebody more acquainted with the less practical, more obscure areas of the records like this boy. He couldn't though, not today. It all stabbed him and.. and... this boy knew the weird quirks of the records' odder sections better than he did.
Bereck's posture abruptly slumped; his head never bowed but his shoulders hunched somewhat. The power of brief rage faded leaving behind pride and confidence, yes, but mainly leaving years and years of weariness. "If.... If you haven't anything better to do I would appreciate those texts. It has been-" his voice caught for a moment and he cleared his throat; "A long day."
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:59 am
Why had the healer followed him? Joscelin frowned, frame pulling in close defensive and wary as he stilled, not meeting the old healers face as he continued ranting and he was just so very tired of socializing. "You have not even finished looking at what I first brought you, not at any length of time to learn anything from them. I..." he played with the helm of his overcoat, not meeting Bereck's face.
"I'm going down to the kitchens for my break," he said firmly, looking up finally and over Bereck's head. "Report me if you feel like it... I can't." He sighed and attempted to step away, wary and nervous. "Not.. not right now at least." His words were getting scrambled and disjuncture. "Just go back... I can't help you right now," Joscelin managed before fleeing out of the records.
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:44 am
Bereck watched the young man walk away in silence; there really wasn't anything he could say. He didn't feel as though he had been in the wrong but he did regret alienating somebody who could have helped.... No. He didn't need that kind of help. He was much better off searching for himself without any idiots getting in his way. Exhaling wearily and muttering under his breath the healer turned and walked back to the table. Counting on others never really worked; if he wanted something done he had to do it himself if he wanted it done properly. Even bothering to follow after the boy had been a mistake, he should have just let him flounce off. he sent crankily to Berath as he sat down and poured klah for himself before leaning forward to pore over the map as he took a sip.
Berath replied, lot more diplomatically Ber.>
"Not worth the effort," the healer murmured vaguely as he squinted at the details of the map.
Outside Berath heaved and enormous sigh.
<-We can agreed to disagree; you're busy anyway, and you haven't got time for a->
"-Circular discussion." Bereck frowned and pulled out his notebook to scribble down details of an interesting feature.
Berath agreed, sending a feeling of warmth to her frazzled bondmate.
"Mmmh." Pushing his reading glasses up his nose Bereck sipped his klah and peered more intently at the map.
It would be some hours before he moved from his work.
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:49 am
He managed to compose himself when he reached the door way of the archives, straightening fully. That, had not gone well at all. Joscelin frowned and shook his head, removing the cloth containing his hair to a semblance of order and shed the overcoat. He folded them neatly, setting it aside over a archiving cart half filled with books. They still needed to be returned to the shelves...
Tea first. Joscelin dragged his fingers through his hair, loosening the messy braids and palming the ties as he headed down to the kitchen. He ignored the voices and chatter around him as he found his way to the kitchens, smelling savory spices. When had he last... perhaps some sandwich fixings as well.
Twenty minutes later and a bit of charm, Joscelin left the kitchen's with a heavy tray laden with the fixings of tea. A tiny kettle filled with boiling water, enough for three cups. A single tea cup and tea ball with strainer. Crunchy bread sliced thin, toasted and in strips for ease of eating with fingers. A small shallow bowl of dipping sauce and a small plate of think sliced meat. A small thing of pastries and the box of Darjeeling teas he asked the staff to keep for him.
Joscelin walked back into the archives and headed towards the back. It was quiet and he would have plenty to do that didn't involve walking the floor.
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