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 Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:27 am
Dropping in
A meeting between Dr. Amory Kempe and Mistress Beatrix Amaranthe, along with her Plague, Cassandra. The cause is a basic check up on Beatrix's work by the Counselor, the place is Beatrix's laboratory, and the time is early evening.
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:49 am
Amory Kempe had made meetings with many scientists to check on their process after he had been made Counselor, a large number of whom had been relatively simple to meet since he already knew them. His acquaintances were extensive, and most of them were well-disposed to him, but knew very little to nothing of Beatrix Amaranthe, and was curious to make her acquaintance. He had heard she had been out of Imisus for many months on business with the Mages- a curious circumstance that he wanted to know more about. What was the nature of her work to merit its use with the Mage faction? He had thought her to be nothing but a confectioner.
Trailing behind him were several equally curious lavender stunteds, Rene at their head riding on his shoulder and looking by all accounts eager about the whole affair. "Her plague is a fair lady, correct, Dr. Kempe?" he asked in a way that Amory supposed was supposed to sound nonchalant.
"Rene, now is not the time!" Amory insisted, and knocked on the door with as much tact as he could. "We're on official business. Please try to keep a level head." At the knock, all the lavender stunteds around him scrambled into Amory's various pockets, vanishing quite seamlessly into his garments, except for the largest lavender stunted, Rene, who continued to perch on his shoulder. His one concession to the knock was to straighten his hat.
"There is always time," he insisted to Dr. Kempe, "To make a good impression on fair ladies."
Amory opened his mouth to retort but shook his head, instead calling out, "Mistress Amaranthe? It's Dr. Kempe, here for our meeting. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything delicate."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:14 pm
The world, it seemed, never managed to keep any sense of normalcy to last. Even banality would have been preferable to some of the tumultuous times that she had endured. But it was just that fact that was the most important; she had lived through it all.
After many months away from Imisus she had settled back down there, not where she considered her home to be but rather her business. Her time in Mishkan had been difficult still and she had found that being there did not bring her the peace she had desired. And so she had returned here, to continue her work. She'd rented out a house, finding herself unable to work in her old residence, and had repurposed many rooms appropriately. Shortly after that she'd checked back in with the Council that she was alive and well, and it would be some time until she got a letter from the new Counsellor himself to come and visit her. Pushing aside her earlier disdain for the group, she replied and set up a time.
She'd spent the day working and organizing her thoughts, not to mention the work that she wished to show him. The hour before his arrival she recounted the last year in her mind, as he probably see fit to ask her about it. When she heard a knock on the door she rose from her chair and strode to the door, slowly opening it up. At first glance she probably didn't appear to be a scientist, as her dress was of fine material and the necklace adorned with three red gems gleamed. But it was no accident that she dressed this way. First and foremost, Beatrix Amaranthe was a lady. Nonetheless, she held a serious expression on her face.
"Welcome, Dr. Kempe. Please come in." She bid, stepping to the side so that he could come in and view her humble abode, but which still looked like a very presentable house."If you're hungry, we can sit down for dinner. Otherwise, we can find refuge in the living room."
For the moment, there was no Plague in sight.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:14 pm
Amory smiled warmly at Beatrix. "A pleasure to meet you, Mistress Amaranthe. I have little appetite at the moment, but please don't let that stop you from eating- my landlady is far too overzealous and suffers from the delusion that I'm anemic, I'm afraid." He seemed not to notice her apparel- Amory was never much for the pretensions of the wealthy and enough Scientists and Trisica students were wealthy that seeing them strutting around in their finery was not so uncommon as one might expect. The stunted on his shoulder seemed impressed enough for both of them, however, and doffed his hat, sweeping a bow in her direction.
"A pleasure indeed, Mistress Amaranthe," he stated in his childishly delicate voice, "I am Rene, the leader of Dr. Kempe's messenger service, equally at your service, or perhaps even moreso than he is. Yes! I do believe I am more at your service than Dr. Kempe. I am, after all, a gentleman." He could not continue, for the look that Amory shot him silenced him quite thoroughly, but it didn't stop him from mouthing 'just say the word' before he fell completely mute.
"Yes, anyway," Amory continued as if nothing had happened, "Wherever we sit, my primary goal is to become acquainted with you and your Plague so I might better serve the both of you as Counselor. Our Grimm community is quite important to us, as are our practitioners of medicine." He flashed a smile again and then seemed to recall something with an "Oh, and!" Diving into his many pockets, he finally pulled out a neatly trimmed card and offered it to his host.
"I'm afraid I brought my presence, but no presents. I didn't expect a formal affair, but this card has my office hours on it if ever you need me. Any Scientist who has a problem should never hesitate to take it up with me."
A pause, and he added, "So long as, of course, they aren't violent about it," with a brief titter of amusement coming from the stunteds in his pockets. Rene didn't laugh, his dignity far above such silly jokes.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:02 pm
Beatrix politely nodded at his refusal for dinner, and she didn't seem bothered by nor it, although nor did she seem to wish to on her own. Instead she listened to Amory's pleasantries, which then followed by a rather enthusiastic introduction by the doctor's stunted, which by her expression seemed to think as peculiar, but she didn't completely dismiss as she gave another quick nod.
She was still getting herself fully accustomed to what she considered Plague culture, as though she might have accepted Cassandra in her life it was still a process to adapt to other Plagues. Nonetheless she didn't consider it rude that he brought some stunted Plagues as he seemed by first impressions to be a well mannered man, his words about wishing to aid her and Cassandra to be appreciated. With the old Counsellor she had felt like she had been getting the cold shoulder a bit.
Her eyebrows rose at his sudden exclamation as he dug through his pockets and produced a card, which she willingly accepted as she listened to his words. She entertained a small smile on her face, "A lady is never violent." It was difficult to say whether these words were a defence or rather an inside joke. "Please follow me." She said and turned around, beginning a short walk to the living room which seamlessly reflected the style in the house - there was a lavish couch and a few other nice chairs, divided by a dark wooden table. The walls were lined with bookcases which had a large selection. Sitting one side of the couch was Cassandra, her hands neatly folded on her lap. Beatrix went to sit beside her, and indicated that Dr. Kempe could take any seat he wished. She looked straight ahead for a moment before looked to Cassandra, and then back to the doctor. "Cassandra." She said simply, and the Plague gave a smile.
"Rather than presume about what you might be interested in, I shall let you lead the discussion."
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:40 pm
Amory laughed. "You've never met my sisters," he remarked lightly, following Beatrix into the living room. The house was furnished in a modish and modern style, although the bookcases were extensive- as a man of learning, Amory's eyes ran along the shelves out of custom and curiosity. Even at his own home, he possessed many books, but his possessions reflected his economic circumstances. Beatrix's collection was far larger, and so reflected hers. He managed to tear himself away from the shelves though, and flashed her a grateful smile, taking the seat nearest to him and crossing his legs as he sat in it.
Rene's attention was not on the books, but on Cassandra, who was, indeed, a lady Plague as he had hoped. He bowed at her quick as a flash and flourished his hat, announcing, "Doctor Amory Kempe, Representative of the Council of Scientists, and Rene, head of his Stunted messenger service at your service, Miss Cassandra." Amory let the grand introduction fly, but offered his own addendum.
"You can call me Amory." He nodded graciously to Beatrix as she opened the discussion to him and next addressed the both of them, announcing, "As you must be aware of after the events regarding Emperor Rine's meeting with certain Grimms as of late, the political environment is not friendly towards Plagues at the moment, moreso than in previous years. However, this is not the position of the Council, despite the unfortunate role that we may have played in that congregation. So long as I'm Counselor, I'll attempt to preserve the mutually beneficial relationship between Plagues, Grimms, and the Council." He shrugged, and added lightly, "But your role as a Grimm isn't the only reason why I'm here, Mistress Amaranthe, and though I hope to address it later in our visit, it would be disingenuous of me to begin with a discussion of anything less than your own personal research." Steepling his fingers, he remarked, "I have heard that you're interested in herblore and medicine, but due to your prolonged absence from Imisus, I admittedly don't know much of the matter. Your background as a confectioner is interesting, but I don't quite see how it lends itself to the pursuit of medicine. If you could shed some light on your approach to your research and the nature of it, it would help me to understand. I myself come from a varied educational background and I find I use every aspect in my research. If you're the same, I can only imagine you've been concocting some terribly strange sorts of medicine. If not, please forgive my wandering imagination and tell me of your medicinal studies."
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:08 pm
And you haven't quite met me.
Beatrix, prim and proper a lady as she looked at the moment, was capable of great acts of violence and depravity, and one particular recent moment in time stood out for her. She would be a broken woman no longer, picking up the scattered pieces of who she was and crushing into fine sand the ones that did her disservice and keeping the ones that would be aid in her being the person that she wanted to be.
She was content as Amory glazed over her collections of books, as any individual interested in literature was one that might show signs of promise. Of course, she wouldn't get ahead herself, as Beatrix knew better than most that appearances can be deceiving. She'd endured too much not to have learned that lesson. Cassandra, in the meanwhile, had her attention focused on the Plague that was addressing her. She looked altogether polite at his rather friendly words, her hands folded, "Pleasure to meet you." She answered, giving a small smile before she turned her attention to Amory as he spoke.
Beatrix, in turn, sat quietly as she listened to the lengthy introduction of his and the Council's position upon the most recent political events, and then he turned over to her, expressing interest in both work and her methodologies. She was rather pleased that he wished to not focus on her status as a Grimm, as she'd much rather have her work speak for itself, and that particular role was one that she was still adjusting to. It had been a long progression since Cassandra had first come into her life and her understanding of everything that came with it. Her lips pursed at the term terribly strange medicine, although from his enthusiastic tone it was evident that it wasn't meant to be a slight, and rather than the mad scientist sort of angle he meant it in the more revolutionary and ingenious sense. "I suppose, first of all, I should make mention that my late father was a doctor and that is partially where my foundation in medicine was. As a child I expressed interest in his work." There was a steely quality to her voice, as if it was little difficult for her to talk about this, and that she didn't often to do. "He... was offered a lucrative job as a confectioner, to create candies for a prominent candies. When he passed away from the plague... I took over his position. It was that event that gave me a driving force to cure the plague, as perhaps naive as that may sound. My job as a confectioner gave me a more intricate understanding of chemistry, and the process of combining ingredients to make candies is not altogether unlike making a medicinal concoction."
That was enough about her background; now onto her work. On the table in front of them was leather book, and she reached forward to take it, opening it up and handing it to him. "I spent some time in Shyregoed and I took it upon myself to attempt to make a compendium of the flora there, cataloguing herbs and the like." In the book there were dried out, flattened, preserved specimens, as well as illustration from he own hand, and of course, descriptions and other notes."My other project while I was there was to try and create something that I might by myself be able to easily manufacture and that would prove to be of some practical use." From her pocket, she took out a small tin box, opening it up and shaking out a honey coloured candy drop. "It looks like a normal candy, but it also has soothing qualities. It's been somewhat effective against alleviating a sore throat and a cough after sucking on it and it can reduce the recovery period." She watched him carefully, searching for a reaction as to what he thought about her work. The one that she been toiling away at for many months.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:16 pm
Amory glanced over the notes, raising an eyebrow. As a teacher of philosophy and the somewhat-less-respectable psychology, botany was not his forte, but was pervasive and inescapable in the Council, as was anything to do with the study of medicine and the possible curing of Plague. Amory, who took a great interest in knowing everybody, was at least not unfamiliar with the art. "And you've made these remedies into candies? A useful way to treat children and the lower classes, for certain. Not everyone is eager to try new cures, but people are far more trusting of candies than mysterious elixirs! May I...?" He reached towards the box hesitantly. Over his shoulder, Rene took notes, stopping every so often to flash a smile at Cassandra as silent assurance that he found her to be the charmingest of charmings.
"The remedies you've used in these candies, are they traditional, or of your own invention? Either way, it's quite an innovation, but I must concern myself with whether or not the cure works. How have you tested the effectiveness of these candies? Surely the results must be somewhat difficult to tell, so I assume that the trial period must have been a challenge." He shut the catalogue of herbs, adding, "I have also had report of your stay in Shyregoed from the Fellowship of Mages. They say that you have acted commendably, and considering that the recent meeting in Helios affected both the Grand Magus and her Sword, any sign of continued goodwill with the Fellowship is valuable at present. For that, I must thank you." The urge to quiz Beatrix further on the nature of the Fellowship was tempting, especially considering the invitation he had extended to the Grand Magus and Sloane, but this was a meeting about Beatrix, and he was determined to keep his focus. The goodwill of Council Grimms was just as essential as the goodwill of the Fellowship at present, and in just as much peril. While it was easy to feel at ease with Rene so casually allowing himself to be distracted by Cassandra and Beatrix being so obliging, he reminded himself that courtesy did not necessarily equate to confidence. For all he knew, Beatrix's loyalties might even lie more firmly with the Fellowship than the Council after her sojourn in Shyregoed.
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:54 pm
"Yes, precisely. Candies can be mass produced and can be sold for a low cost, and their appearance certainly does not give the impression of some sort of snakeoil." She explained, an almost ironic use of term; many people were wary of potions and vials that contained strange liquid. How much harm could a candy do? Conversely, why not take the leap of faith? "Go ahead." She nodded when he wished to take one, having no objections to closer inspections of her work. Meanwhile, Cassandra had her eyes set on Beatrix, although in the corner of her eye she didn't fail to see Rene trying to charm her. After a few times, she finally returned a single smile, before she straightened up her posture and looked ever bit a lady again.
"Both, I suppose I would say. The key ingredients are herbs but the process to mix them together is inherently chemical." She explained, the slightest of smiles gracing her lips as Amory commended her for her work and imagination. Like any one, she wanted to hear that she had done a good job. Plus, she had worked very hard on this... "I have a small sample size from my time in Shyregoed. My primary test subject was... myself." Beatrix brushed back some hair behind her ear, unphased by what she had said. Instead, she focused on the commendation as to her relations with the Fellowship. "It was no hassle to me. The Fellowship was very kind to me and it was thanks to being there that I was able to do all of this work." She answered honestly, and it was a relief to hear that they had given her a good reference considering she knew that... they would have been in their right not to do so. But she had come some ways since the person she had been there.
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 5:31 am
Amory popped the candy in his mouth with relatively little concern. As one of the few non-Grimms in the upper echelons of the Council, he was in worse peril of death just through having been promoted than he was through eating strange candies.
"Yes, I can taste the medicine," he remarked after a moment, "But it isn't an unpleasant taste at all. This is quite an invention." He rolled the lozenge from cheek to cheek and asked, "Were you planning to release these to the public soon? From your notes I see that some varieties must have come a considerable way towards being perfected." He glanced down at her notes again and furrowed his brow. "A pity though, I don't think that these candies could dose very strong medicine...?" Leaving the question hanging in the air, he gave her a wan, somewhat apologetic smile.
"At this point in the evening, I must make my awkward segue into talking about the Plague. As the representative, it looms large in my job description." At his side, Rene stopped flirting briefly and suddenly looked attentive. "As you are aware, Mistress Amaraanthe, the surest way of promotion in the Council these days is through Plagueology. The candies you ahve developed are innovative, and your work in medicine has been superb, but considering that you also have played a role in politics, I have no doubt that you are conscious of this fact." He looked at his own notes, this time, continuining, "I personally have seen more than enough to offer you a promotion, your contributions have been quite innovative. But especially considering your Grimmship, you would advance far more quickly through the ranks by pursuing Plagueology than by pursuing common medicine, so I suppose the question is this;" He looked up at her searchingly.
"Would you be amenable to my setting you on a path towards a position that can balance both your work and Plagueology?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:05 pm
There's a crack in her demeanor as Amory paid her compliment on her medicine drops, something of the slightest of a smile lingering for a few moments. Beatrix had worked very hard on them so that they could be perfected. "Yes, I intend to mass manufacture them. It'll take a little bit of time to get all of that set up." She hadn't been managing everything as well as she could have, though there had been someone in her proxy to ensure it hadn't all fell apart. As far as his question, she paused a moment, "Well, there could be a hollow center in the candy that one could fill with liquid. Otherwise it would likely end up getting diluted if the candy was hard all the way through." She hadn't gotten quite that far to see if it was a viable option for such a task.
Her posture straightened at the mention of Plagues, the smile completely fading away. She didn't seem displeased or uncomfortable, but she did carry more of the stiff persona from earlier. Beatrix had known subconsciously from the beginning that Plagues were the way to rise the ladder. Despite her adverse opinion of them, she'd never harmed her own, whatever the state had been. It was a complicated matter, and her relationship with Cassandra had changed over time. What she had initially wanted was to rise in the Council so that she could help cure the plague; a selfishly selfless notion. She looked to Cassandra a moment, and she felt like everything was really starting to go how she had wanted it to. She looked to Amory, nodding, "Yes, I would like that."
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:26 pm
"Of course. Making candy, after all, is a rather expensive and time consuming process! I will try to ensure that what funding we can spare reaches you. The plague isn't the only disease that kills, and many of the ones that are treatable have been too long neglected in the search to cure the former disease."
She stiffened, Amory thought perhaps somewhat expectantly. That in itself wasn't surprising- the promotion and the visit both had been a long time coming, delayed by the condition of his predecessor, a condition he had been all too familiar with. "Excellent!" he announced. "And Miss Cassandra, how do you feel about this?" He turned to the tiny pink Plague, and it was René who stiffened this time, ready to leap to her aid if the burden of resposibility should provoke in her a maidenly swoon. "If Mistress Amaranthe does indeed choose to pursue Plagueology, you will play a key part in her work, especially due to your alignment. You must be sensible already to the fact that Servos such as yourself are the most useful and valuable of all of the Plagues recruited in the Council."
René, a servos himself, albeit a stunted, looked rather smug. Amory continued. "It seems to me, Mistress Amaranthe, that these candies would be an excellent method of distributing cures quickly and efficiently to the sick. Were we to find a cure for the Plague, they could be essential in providing medicine to the mistrustful and unwilling. Many areas in Gadu itself are stricken with plague, and across Panymium, the Council is in charge of disease containment." He gestured at Cassandra. "The smell of death and disease is sweet to Plagues, much like candy. They can sniff out illnesses. Were you to choose to help us contain outbreaks, you would have ample opportunity to examine the disease, and Cassandra here could be a tremendous help, especially once she grows."
He waited, giving the pair of them time to process the offer.
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 11:39 pm
"Thank you," she said more so in consideration to Amory affirming of her pursuit as worthwhile rather than his offer of funding. Beatrix was not poor by any means to feel that she would need to rely upon on the Council's money, but if her operations were to be on a grand scale it might be appreciated. But truly, all she wanted was someone to believe she was on the right path.
Cassandra raised her head to look at Amory when he spoke to her, while Beatrix seemed contemplative of his words. It looked as if she was recalling some far off event, perhaps. Cassandra seemed to lack the apprehension or wariness that her Grimm did, "I am happy to do it." She looked to Beatrix, smiling. She would do whatever Beatrix wished for her, and whatever made her happy. She seemed very pleased to be told that she was the most valuable type of all the Plagues, and she hoped that this pleased Beatrix as well. She know how things had been difficult for Beatrix in the past, and the politics in Panymium had not been helping, not with everything they'd seen and gone through. But Beatrix nonetheless had made a great improvement over the many months, and she had full faith that things would only get better from here. If the Council was behind her, than Cassandra believed there was nothing that Beatrix couldn't achieve.
They looked at one another, and this did seem like a good opportunity. Of course, Cassandra would follow any path that Beatrix would undertake, but Beatrix did seem content with what was offered. The past may have been rocky and uncertain, but now the path was becoming clearer. "I think we are both in agreement," she reasoned, and it could be said that there was something of a hint of a smile on her face. She wanted what any person wanted: to be useful and to be appreciated.
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Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 10:34 am
"Wonderful," Amory said ebulliently. "I will put you in touch with Doctor Jannisari of the Plagueology department. She and her assistants have been studying disease control, and her findings have helped us locate and isolate outbreaks in Gadu." He rummaged through his belongings and pulled out paper and ink, which René took hold of and began to write on in a tidy hand.
"You will have full use of the catacombs under the Council for your purposes. We have isolated areas outside of Gadu to treat victims, but there is also an area in the Plagueology department's catacombs where victims in advanced stages are sometimes brought and treated. You may study them, and try to effect a cure on them, but I must ask you to only study their corpses with their living relatives' permission if they die. You will be able to recruit from any of the Plagueology students in the department to help you, but of course, Grimms will be the safest choice due to their peculiar immunity."
He nodded at Cassandra and added, "Your role will be essential. You must be sure to inform Mistress Amaranthe if you smell the plague anywhere in Gadu. One case overlooked could bring the whole city to its knees, and if Gadu falls, all of Imisus could be thrown into disarray. Gadu has its reputation as a safehaven because of the efforts of the Council. Only the most capable Plagueologists are recruited into this effort."
Rene handed Amory the paper, and Amory signed it, then handed it to Beatrix.
"This is a certificate affirming your new role in the Council. It will serve as a permission slip to access whatever materials you need, and as a badge of authority. Thank you for your continuing devotion to the cause of science."
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Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 11:18 am
Beatrix watched as Amory took out a piece of paper, nodding along to his words. It seemed like she was going to be instated as a real scientist, able to carry out her work with the Council backing her. It pleased her greatly, to think how far she had come, after all those trying years, and especially after the recent months. He had told her that she would amount to nothing, and yet he was dead and she was still here. She would do right by the Council and by the people of Gadu.
Cassandra looked to Amory, serious-faced when given her task. She was no less dedicated than Beatrix, and she knew how important this all was - especially to Beatrix. She tapped her nose gently, "I will be on the keen lookout." She all too vividly remembered the chaos her and Beatrix had gone through after the Troupe accident and how order was essential in Panymium. It was a big responsibility, but she would take it upon herself and carry out her work to do the best of her abilities. She knew that it would make Beatrix proud of her.
Beatrix took the paper handed her to her, a smile finally settling on her face. In some ways, she felt as if she was now the guardian of the city. Lady Beatrix of Gadu. "Thank you for this opportunity," she said gratefully, and she did truly want to be the person to help find the cure to the plague. For now, she would take care of the people in her city as best she could. As she saw it, things could only get better for her from here, and it had not been like for her for a long time. She had endured many difficult things and they had crippled her, but now they would make her stronger. She deserved it.
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